Process for cleaning scale from metals



Patented Jan. 16, 1923.

v UNITED STATES PA GEORGE A; AVERY AND FREDERICK BAMBLETT, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN;

No Drawing.

To all whom it may PROCESS FOR CLEANING SCALE FROM M nivans Application filed March 23, 1922.

concern I (ino i'oic A. Avizin' and Fnnnnmoit' BAnBLn'cr. citizens of the United States, res

county of \Vayne have invented certain new and useful iding at Detroit, in the and State of Michigan.

provements in Processes for ("leaning Scale from l\/lctals, of specification.

his invention which thefollowing is a relates to a process for cleaning scale from metals, and more par ticularly to a method of removing'scale from hardened gears.

At the present time. scale is removed from hardened gears by use of wire brush Both of these proce due to the labor invol\ ed and brushes destroyed.

manual labor..and by the es and polishing lathes. are costly operations. the number of In the present invention, we first remove all oil and other surface of the geai ing it with a clea foreign matter from the or other metal by treatning compound in a rcverse current, employing a metal tank. such as an iron tank, a The metal 'is the water and placed i acid employing a with a nickel or tive electrode. the most stubborn five to ten minutes without metal in any way. in water and dried the negative electrode. 11 thoroughly rinsed in n a solution of a mineral reverse or direct current carbon anode as the nega- This treatment Wlll removev fire or oil scale in from attacking the The metal is then rinsed by immersing it in a hot solution of soda which will remove all acid from the pores of the metal.

In a typical embodiment of the invention,

current. using volts.

the gears or other metal to be cleaned are first treated with a fairly strong soluin a reverse or direct from three to SIX be employed, but it is essential that the surface of the metal order that the next step be properly carried out.

be properly cleaned in As stated, the first step of the process is performed in a tank formed of a metal ductor of electricity,

that is a fairly good consuch as an iron tank,

and the tank is employed as the negative or positive electrode.

is connected to the The metal to be cleaned lead Wire-and made the positive or negative pole during this treat ment which is ,ca

rried. on for a suflicient in which the ing the second"'step mineral acid and we of the process mav.

Serial No. males.

511i oiljand other foreign matter from metal. I i

he metal is their rinsed in water to place it in proper condition for the second step scale removed. ,In performcleansed metal is placed in a solution of a preferably employ a 10 per cent solution of hydrochloric and sulfuric acids in equal portions. A reverse or direct current from four to six volts, with not less than two-hundred amperes is cmploycd in this step. and a nickel or carbon electrode is used the anode. The metal may be subjected to this treatment for from live to ten minutes which will remove the'most stubborn fire or oil scale, without attacking the metal in any way. It is then rinsed inwater and dried by immersing it in a hot solution of an alkali, such as a soda solution which will remove theacid from the pores of the metal. I

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the use of this process eliminates a great deal of labor now necessary in cleaning metals and is also advantageousin that it saves the cost of the large number of wire brushes worn out or destroyed in cleaning metal. according to the present process.

While we have-described in detail, the preferred practice of our process, it is to be understood that the details of procedure, and proportion of ingredients may be Widely varied, and that known chemical equivalents may be employed in place ofmthe materials mentioned, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

aving thus described our invention, we claim:

1. The process of removing scale from metal which comprises subjecting the metal to an electric current in a solution of a cleaning composition to remove oil and other foreign matter from the surface of the metal,

and then subjecting it to an electric current in a solution of a mineral ac d, I 2. The process of 'removlng scale from metal Which comprises subjecting the metal to an electric of the process, the

van electric current in then subjecting it to an electric current in a solution of a mineral acid, and then rinsing it in a soda solution.

3. The process of removing scale from metal which comprises subjecting the metal to an electric current in a solution of a cleaning composition, and then subjecting it to a solution of hydrochloric and sulfuric acid.

4. The process of removing scale from metal which comprises subjectingthe metal to an electric current in a solution of a cleaning composition, then subjecting it to an electric current in a solution of hydrochloric and sulfuric acid, and then rinsing it in a soda solution.

5. The process of cleaning metal which consists in subjecting it to an electric current in a solution of a cleaning composition to remove oil from the surface of the metal, rinsing it in Water, then subjecting it to an electric current in a solution of a mineral acid, and then-rinsing it in a soda solution.

6. The process of cleaning metal which comprises subjecting it to an electric current of from 3 to 6 volts in a solution of a cleaning composition to remove oil from the surface of the metal, rinsing it in water, and then subjecting it to an electric current of from} to volts, and not less than 200 amperes, in a solution of hydrochloric and sulfuric acid of substantially 10 per cent strength fora period of from five to ten minutes, and then rinsing it in a hot solution of soda. I

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses. GEORGE A. AVERY. FRED-ERICK BAMBLETT.

Witnesses:

HARRY I. LEmsoN, A. E. SCHWAHN. 

